5 lawmakers to take oath early

Five winners of special House and Senate elections are being sworn in before the rest of the freshman class.

New senators sworn in Monday were:

Joe Manchin III, West Virginia Democrat, who has served since 2005 as governor of West Virginia, took the seat of the late Robert C. Byrd, the longest-serving senator in Senate history. Byrd, also a Democrat, died in June. Mr. Manchin will be up for re-election in 2012.

Chris Coons, Delaware Democrat, was a county executive before his election to the seat long-occupied by Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. Mr. Biden’s former chief of staff, Ted Kaufman, was appointed to Mr. Biden’s seat after the 2008 presidential election with the understanding he would not run in 2010.

The House on Tuesday is scheduled to swear in two new members:

Marlin Stutzman, Indiana Republican, a state senator, takes the seat that has been vacant since Republican Rep. Mark Souder resigned in May after confessing to an extramarital affair.

Tom Reed, New York Republican, formerly mayor of Corning, will be sworn in for the seat once held by Democratic Rep. Eric Massa. Mr. Massa resigned in March after being accused of sexually harassing male staff members. Mr. Reed was hospitalized Sunday evening with a blood-clotting issue, and his office said it was uncertain whether his swearing-in would take place as scheduled.

Mark Kirk, Illinois Republican, with his election victory on Nov. 2, won the right to serve the usual six-year term and to serve out the last weeks in the Senate seat once held by President Obama. Since Mr. Obama’s election, that seat has been held by appointee Sen. Roland W. Burris. Mr. Kirk, a five-term congressman, is expected to be sworn in after Congress returns from its Thanksgiving week break. Illinois state officials say papers certifying his victory won’t be delivered to Washington until Nov. 29.